How does Peppol know where to route my invoice?
Via the recipient's unique Peppol ID.
Every organization has a unique Peppol ID, usually based on its company number (in Belgium 0208:xxxxxxxxxx). This ensures every invoice automatically reaches the correct company.
For Belgian company numbers, the prefix 0208 is used, followed by the full company number. The company number always starts with a 0 or a 1.
For example: 0208:0xxxxxxxxx or 0208:1xxxxxxxxx.
Some organizations are registered under their GLN (Global Location Number) using scheme 0088 instead of a national company number. This is common in retail, logistics, and healthcare. In that case the Peppol address looks like 0088:5400000000001. If you cannot reach a recipient via 0208, they may be registered under 0088. See What is a GLN and when should I use it? for more details.